Few dare to dream methods for resolving the health-care issues facing America. One best-selling author, T. Colin Campbell, after he completed the most comprehensive scientific study of nutrition ever conducted, argues that most health issues can be resolved by simply changing from animal-derived foods to plant foods.1,2 Is then our food choice either culprit or solution? Several esteemed clinicians, rather than dispute Campbell's findings, assigned patients suffering with heart disease, cancers, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases a strict plant food menu. Nearly all subjects progressed so well that they were taken off their previously prescribed medications. Each clinician observed that patient compliance in applying the plant-food protocol is required for attaining results. Of those patients whose health returned from consuming plant foods, once they "cheated" by adding a small portion from animal-derived food, their original complaints returned. If a plant-food intervention improves health, longevity, and resolves the health issues afflicting our modern industrialized society, examination to determine efficacy is rational.

Animal-derived foods have been identified as the active agents responsible for initiating disease in The China Study. Here Campbell presents remarkable evidence for resolving the health-care issues that plague our modern society. The book's conclusions are summed up in the following statements, which merit review:

They observed that the amount of milk protein calories consumed increases the amount of aflatoxin entering the cell, resulting in an increase in cell mitosis (reproduction) and mixed function oxidase enzyme activity (enzyme growth factor). A higher intake of animal-derived milk protein calories combined with exposure to aflatoxin, a potent carcinogen, increases the rate of cancer cell precursors, called foci. Foci production increases proportionately with each percentage of milk protein calories consumed (Chart III)8:

CHART III. FOCI PRODUCTION RATE

Similarly, Madhavin and Gopalan discovered that after rats were given aflatoxin, with a 20% milk protein calorie diet, 100% of them died from liver cancer within their 100-week lifespan, while those consuming aflatoxin with a 5% milk protein calorie diet survived; not one contracted liver cancer during its 100-week lifespan.9 From review of the Madhavin and Gopalan research, Campbell et al. (1989) identified which and how much dietary protein calorie amounts were associated with an increased carcinogenic effect.10 Animal-derived dairy milk is 87% casein, an animal-derived protein produced by a cow for the calf's growth during infancy. When 20% of protein calories originate from cow's milk, the resultant cancer growth in rats was determined by measuring foci response. Interestingly, no cancer growth occurs when 20% of the protein calories originate from plant proteins (wheat or soy), or, if the animal-derived dairy milk protein content is restricted to 5% of the total calories consumed (Chart IV). One interpretation is that one dietary protein formula known to support infant growth in one species may increase the risk of toxic consequences when chronically consumed by another species.

CHART IV. PROTEIN % EFFECT CANCER PRECURSOR FOCI

When researchers feed high- and low-protein diets with aflatoxin to rats over an expected 100-week life span, full tumor development occurred in the high-casein protein diet but not the low-casein protein diet. Rats consuming a low 6% milk-protein diet all survived after 100 weeks, while rats consuming a milk-protein diet after 100 weeks all died (Chart V).

CHART V. TUMOR DEVELOPMENT 100 WEEEKS

Aflatoxin's carcinogenic effect appears to be activated by a "growth" property from casein. The amount and type of protein consumed determines whether or not a carcinogenic effect occurs. Hu et al. (1997) also identified another mechanism that relates to a strikingly similar effect related to dietary protein volume percent on cancer cells associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. A piece of HBV virus inserts itself into a genetic piece in liver cells, resulting in liver cancer. Mice (not cows) infected by HBV, those consuming a higher volume of animal-derived protein increased proportionately elevated expression of HBVGENE-A & GENE-B (Chart VI)11:

CHART VI. DIETARY PROTEIN EFFECT ON GENE EXPRESSION (Mice)

The amount of "animal" meats consumed has been associated with human-female colorectal cancer deaths (Chart VII)12:

The question: If disease and death were associated from eating too much animal-derived foods, what would be the preventative effects in those whose diets consist only of plant foods?

4. Plant Food Diet Prevents and Reverses Diabetic Death.
Hinsworth reported (1935) that in countries where plant foods are consumed most (Japan), death from diabetes occurs less as compared with countries (US) where animal foods are consumed most (Chart XIX).14

When a plant food diet is strictly adhered to, coronary artery disease is reversed; Esselstyn demonstrated this by a before-and-after angiogram of a subject after only 32 months on a plant-food diet (below)16:

Figure 1: Coronary angiograms of the distal left anterior descending artery before (A) and after (B) 32 months of a plant-based diet without cholesterol-lowering medication prove profound improvement.

Plant Food Diet Decreases Atherosclerosis Deaths
The plant-food diet has been associated with increased survival rate. In a country where a plant food menu is not practiced (US), death rate increases and number of survivors decreases. Morrison compared the death rate numbers related to consuming the typical American diet and eating a plant-food diet (reduced cholesterol and fat) for 8 years. He concluded that survival rate was remarkably higher due to consuming plant foods (Chart XI)17:

6. Plant Food Diet Increases Metabolism (BMR) and Decreases BMI, While Animal Foods Decrease BMR And Increase BMI.
We are what we eat and, to a large extent, food choices make calories contribute to either positive or negative effects on body mass. Campbell compared how body mass index is affected by eating either a plant-food diet (China) or not a plant-food diet (USA; Chart XII).18

CHART XII. CHINA BMI PLANT FOOD COMPARED TO USA BMI LOW-PLANT FOOD

Plant Food Menu Increases Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
The comparison of Chinese calorie intake of 2640 k/cal from largely plant-foods create a body mass index of 21.5 as compared with Americans' calorie intake of 1980 k/cal per day that results in a body mass index of 27, which demonstrates that vegetarians have a higher basal metabolic rate than people who live on primarily animal-source calories. Campbell discovered that rats fed vegetarian diets or a low 5% protein exercised 200% more on training wheels than those rats whose diets were from high protein from animal sources.19 Poehlman (1988) also reported that vegetarians record much higher metabolic rates than nonvegetarians.20 Further evidence of higher basal metabolism is observed as weight loss in subjects changing from an animal-source to a plant-food menu (Chart XIII.)21

CHART XIII. PLANT FOOD EFFECT ON BMI & WEIGHT LOSS

Conclusions
The conclusions from The China Study illustrate the importance of plant-food choices for vigorous health and quality of life. Humans at birth up to 2 years of age require no more than 5% protein-calories from mother's breast milk for growth, which calls into question the need for foods derived from animal sources.22 If the caloric excess proteins and fats derived from animal foods enhance the onset of heart disease, cancers, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases, then the lower-protein plant-food diet producing health with no provocative consequences deserves serious consideration. Individual compliance is the largest obstacle to be overcome, but once achieved, a plant-food lifestyle is a well-advised intervention that may resolve a majority of the health-care issues in the US.